Brick handling fork



April 11, 195o Filed Dec. 21e, 1 946 S. E. RIKE BRICK HANBLNG FORK 2Sheets-Sheet 1 if@ Pl. L M 12 50 Z 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :|21- :mrd

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Filed Dec. 26, 1946 Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEBRICK' I IANDLING Folug: r silesgalmermke, oentertorgflnd;AppIi'cat'o'nDecember 26, 1946, Serial No.

brickand; like packsame have been suitably deposited" layer upon-y layerand the unit'l simultaneously elevatedv andv transported by a tow-motorand carrier known as: a fork, the latter" including parallel lingers,ysame being elevated prior. to tow-motor vtravel and lowered when theunit' has been transported tov its initial destination.

vTo expedite operations and; eliminate waitingv periodsA so that thefork and tow-motor' can: be utilized substantiallyy continuouslyf ortransportation purposes only certain of the brick are arranged; in'Aparallel rowrelation.v These are known as skid brick andthe=rowsasfs1iidirows.v Thereafter brick are stacked thereon.

A tow-motor with its fork' is then. presented to these lowermost' skidbricks soy that same are disposed between the fork'ngers. Coextensivewith each brick confronting face of a nger is a brick gripping element.Asv the brick mass Weight is applied to the fingers thev brick grippingelement', substantially coextensive with each, is projected into skidrow engagement so that the skid brick and supported pile` can be pickedup by the fork for transportation. and when. transported deposited atthe new location for storage or shipment. In the former case, themass-readily can be picked' up again and again asrequired or desired. f

Devices of this latter type: have certain disadvantages. Ifthe'skid-rowy bricky be misaligned slightly there is Wearing and tearing ofAthe skid brick clampingy member'- This is especially pronounced nearthe-free end ofthe iinger located` portion thereof.

' A- second and even more disadvantagev results from lack of brickuniformity. One thick brick inask-id: row'or one or morey thinI brickstherein will result in imperfect gripping of all skid brick.

When all brick is picked up-and transported',.

evenif all skid brick be initially gripped, the thin ones will drop outduring transportation and when the unit mass is deposited, the. packagearrangement frequently is; destroyed. Sometimes',A the droppedy(released).A skid brick evenmomentarily stops `transpx'ortation so themass topples from the ngers. y

The'present invention has for its chief object the retention of all theadvantages of. the. towmotor and.` fork previously described and, noneaf', thedisadvantages of. same,v especially those specically mentionedhereinbefore;

chief feature ofthe present: invention. ref

sides in the segmentation of the skid brick; ping: means on any brickconfronting linger face.

Another feature of the presenty invention re.-k sides: in theutilization of single power means;` for opposite face mountedl skid"brick gripping means this: only being possible, with safety, when; the:latter'a-re segmented:

A. further` feature of the.' invention resides; in the use of ahydraulic orl uid pressure mea-n3;

deriving pressure ui'dfrom the tow-motor for skid brick' gripping, etc.

Other obj ectsf and features:` of. the invention'will be setl forth:more: fully hereinafter.

The.v full', nature. of ther invention will be underh stood fromtheaccomps'myingf.` drawings and the following description andrclairns.:

In the drawings Fig: l=; isf a vertical sectional view of a portion of.a bricky fork; including. the invention.

Fig'. 2- is: a; front elevation: of same withA back plate: removed..

Fig. 3 is a top? plan view'. ofv the; fork shown in Figs; l` and 2kandzwith back plate' removed;

Fig'. 4; is anr enlarged.' longitudinal. sectional. View through afinger' of thefork; one of the gripping; segments; or, elements beingshown in. elevation; andiitsf power' and. base.

Fig. 5- is: a transverse 'sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4and in the direction of: the:

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational View ofthe power for a single' andf adouble. gripping finger;

Fig. 9' is a sclienlatic'` rear'elevational' Viewx of a five r fingersfork 'hydraulicV power: system wherein; the endiingers7 are of singlegrippingl type and? the intermediate fingers: are of' dual gripping;

type.

Figl l-0 is:` a similar View of amodied formf of power mechanism.- 4Since: th'etoyvI motory is conventional to,` the art no specificreference need 'be' had thereto` except tostatefit'is a self-propelledvehicle upon which the operator'm'ay ride? and control theetravelthereof, saidvvehicle being; reversi-ble ands steerableit Such a vehicleinclu-des- 'ai motor operable; manually controlled "power-takefhofi andin many instancesaypair, oi* lparallel chains raise andlower the forkupon the tow motorcarryingsame.- Theiork main support is usuallyequipped with manually :controlled l-luid.. pressureoperablesubstantially vertically disposed spaced members suitablysecured to the main support that is laterally shiftable as aforesaid. Toeach is secured a parallel track I I. Straddling the upper portion ofeach member I is a U-shaped structure comprising plates I2 and axle I3,the latter supporting roll I4 disposed forwardly of track II and spacedtherefrom. L

Interposed between the track II and roller I4 is a floating frame memberI5 which at its rear slides upon the track and at its front bears onro1lI4.- '.f

AvProjecting forwardly from each member I0 below the aforesaid is theangular'member I6 suitably secured to said member and having thelaterally directed confining portion I I in spaced relation to memberI0. Thus the two members I5 or the floating frame is prevented, relativeto the base, from any other than up and down sliding movement on tracksI I.

` Disposed between and suitably connected at opposite ends to memberslIl) is the channel I8. Disposed between the same members, or moreparticularly the confronting members l2, see Fig. 3, and suitablysecured thereto at opposite ends is the angle I9. The horizontallydisposed webs thereof are suitably apertured as at l2|] and 2|respectively.

f The lower ends of floating frame members I5 are suitably connected asat 22, see Fig. l, and gussetted as 23, see Fig. 2. Cross member 22 mayinclude upwardly directed tongue 24, the gussets and tongue beingapertured at 25.

A load spring 26 is hooked at one end in each aperture and into eye 21at its opposite end, said eye being the termination of a bolt 28 seatedin aperture 2| of cross member I9. A nut 29 retains the bolt upon memberI9 and determines the adjusted force of the associated load spring 26.

Suitably secured to floating frame members 'I5 and to the top thereof isthe cross member 30 which projects forwardly therefrom an appreciabledistance to serve as an upper anchoring base for a vertically disposedback plate 3I lsuitably secured thereto.

When frame members Il) are chain or like elevated by the tow motor,springs 26 elongate if a suicient load be imposed upon the fork, If theload be greater than the capacity of springs 26, member 30 will engage'the upper edges of the U-shaped structures I2, etc., and prevent furtheror excessive lowering of the load. There is therefore relative movementprovided between what might be termed the main frame and the floatingframe of the fork.

To the forward face of cross-member 21 is suitably secured, as at 32,the bases 33 and 34 of the single and dual fingers 35 and 36, samehaving tapered free ends 35's and 36a as shown. Each of the finger basesis suitably apertured at 31 to pass an oscillatory rod 38, see Fig. 4,and same at its rearward end terminates in a polygonal or like head 39.l

` In member 22 there is rotatably supported at a short shaft 4I alignedwith shaft 38. The

4 bearing 40 is counterbored at 42 to nest the socket type head 43 onthe end of shaft 4I. This socket seats head 39 so that shafts 4| and 38,while connected and movable angularly as a unit, are axially separablewhenever the finger base is detached from its support 22.

The shaft 4I projects rearwardly from member 22 and has its exposed endshaped to mount or be mounted upon a lever arm for arm operation of thealigned shafts. Herein exposed end 44 is polygonal and projects througha complementary hole 4-5 in a, lever 46, the two being secured againstseparation as by cotter key 41.

Each link 46 is slotted longitudinally as at 48. Therein is slidablysecured angular end 49 of rod 50, said end being retained by washer5I-52 and cotter key 53. Referring more particularly to Fig. l it willbe observed that each rod 50 slidably extends through registeringapertures fore the angular end moves from a lower position to a higherposition. This end slides in slot 48 in the associated lever 46 so thatit and the shaft 4I-38 rock. The purpose thereof is to effect clampingof the skid brick.

Reference will now be had to the right hand portion of Fig. 3 and Figs,4 to 8, inclusive. In the left hand portion thereof is illustrated therod and arm connection to the uppermost finger 35, see Fig. 3. The righthand portion illustrates the rod 5D connection to the two shafts 4I--38of the topmost dual finger 36, see Fig. 3. Fig. 8, accordingly, shows asingle rod actuating the finger gripping means of the associated flnger.Note in the latter connection end 49 of rod 5D rides in both slots 48 ofboth levers 46 for a dual finger and rocks the shafts thereofoppositely. In said figure the projected position of the finger grippingmeans is indicated by dotted lines and the lever positions correspondingthereto are similarly indicated.

Reference will now be had more particularly to Figs. 4 to '7 inclusive.As shown in Fig. 3 each finger 35 or 36 has a base detachably secured tocross-member 22 and when detached shafts 38 and 4I simultaneouslyseparate.4 `'This permits :linger replacement vatA will with no otherwork than removal and replacement.

Herein the several skid brick confronting faces of the fingers aresuitably channeled as at 59. Shaft 38 extends substantially coextensivetherewith. see Fig. 1. While Fig. 4 illustrates a single finger, Figs. 5to 7 illustrate so-called dual fingers.

Suitably secured in the pocket or cavity are a plurality of bearingstructures for shaft 38. Each includes a block base 69 pinned as at 6Ito the finger and4 having shaft bearing portion 463. Cap 64 is pinaligned at 6 5 with theblock and secured to same by'screw 66 as shown.It includes cap shaft bearing and retaining face 61. Removal of allscrews 65 -releases shaft 38.

Each shaft 38 between a pairof bearings has see Figs, 4 and 6, a'rockerelement 69 so that it rod and spring utilized instead of the five rodsand springs shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' A lmodification of the foregoing but utilizing the basic principlethereof, as well as that shown in Fig. 8, in other Words, a positivepressure and single spring or relative frame movement and single springtype of power is illustrated in Fig. 10.

Herein bars 290 and 20| are connected to levers 246 carried by shafts244. Herein bar 200 mounts lateral extension 202 and bar 20| mountslateral extension 203. Rod 250 is vertically slidable as before.

Pivotally supported on xed points 280 and 28| are the angle levers 232and 283. Lever 282 at one end is-link connected as at 284 to extension202; Lever 283 at one end is link connected as at 285 to extension 203.Each of the other ends of said levers is longitudinally slotted as at286 and therein is pin 281 carried by the lower end.

of rod 250,

Whenever rod 259 is raised all shafts 244 connected to bar 200 rotateclockwise and all shafts 2M connected to bar 20| rotate reversely andboth rotate for projection of the skid brick gripping means. Lowering ofrod 259 retracts the gripping means to brick release position.

Whenever the brick gripping means is segmented as shown herein anynumber of brick can be picked up and transported and the capacity is notlimited to a full area unit of brick.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detailin the drawings and foregoing description, the same is -to be considered'as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all areconsidered to be within the broad scope of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. In a brick packaging unit having a pair of relatively movable framesand spaced substantially parallel elongated fingers carried by andprojecting from one frame, the combination of a plurality of elongatedbrick clamping segments disposed in` longitudinal alignment along eachbrick confronting face of each finger for skid brick clamping, eachbrick confronting face of a finger being longitudinally chambered, thelongitudinally aligned segments being mounted thereon, means forsimultaneously moving all segments in any one alignment into positionsparallel to that alignment and corresponding to brick clamping andrelease, and oppositely movable means for moving said last mentionedmeans for substantially simultaneous clamping and releasing respectivelyof all skid brick.

2. A unit as defined by claim l wherein certain of said fingers are ofdual opposed gripping character and other of said fingers are ofsingular gripping character, all of the first mentioned means beingsubstantially coplanar, means connecting alternate first mentioned meanstogether, other means connecting the other first mentioned meanstogether, the said oppositely movable means having connection to each ofthe said connecting means. 3. A unit as defined by claim 2 whereinspring means constrain said oppositely movable means to one direction. i

Cil

4. In a brick packaging unit having a pair of.l

other of said fingers being of singular gripping character, all of therst mentioned means being substantially coplanar, means connectingalternate first mentioned means together, other means connecting theother first mentioned means together, the said oppositely movable meanshaving connection to each of the said connecting means, spring meansconstraining said oppositely movable means to one direction, and fluidpressure operable means opposing said spring means oppositely movingsaid oppositely movable means.

5. In a brick handling fork the combination of a base, a plurality ofspaced parallel elongated fingers detachably secured at one end thereto,a rock shaft carried by each finger and disposed longitudinally thereof,brick gripping means associated with each finger and operativelysupported thereby and rockable into and out of brick gripping positionwhen the shaft is rocked correspondingly, each shaft being exposed bythe finger at the base anchored end thereof, a shaft for each firstmentioned shaft and projecting beyond the base, the shafts being axiallyaligned and complementary head and socket connectinz means between theconfronting ends Aof aligned shafts and separable upon finger-baseseparation.

6. In a brick handling fork the combination of a linger supporting base,an elongated finger secured at one end thereto, an elongated shaft meansdisposed adjacent each of two opposite brick confronting faces of thefinger, a lever carried by each shaft means on the base exposed endthereof, and a single means operatively associated with both levers forsimultaneously actuating both shaft means oppositely each leverincluding an elongated longitudinally disposed slot therein, the slottedends of the levers lapping each other, said single means including amember simultaneously seatable in both slots.

SILES ELMER RIKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 967,663 Penfield Aug. 16, 1910975,713 Peniield Nov. 15, 1910 1,064,594 Barnes June l0, 1913 1,221,765Penfield Apr. 3, 1917 1,649,343 Fuller Nov. 15, 1927 2,033,746 SullivanMar. 10, 1936 2.250273 Priester July 22, 1941 2,403,356 Francis July 2,1946

